Itachi began to chuckle evilly, "This is a pathetic sight to see…" he laughed at the girl, then at Kakashi who did nothing but stare at her limp form. "What shall you do about this? Foolish little brother…"
"You're nothing to me, I refuse to believe we are related…killing the whole clan just to prove how strong you are…YOU'RE SICK!" Sasuke shouted at him.
"I see you've obtained the third wheel, very good brother." He spoke and clapped his hands at him. "Mind telling me, how you gained the third wheel? Little brother?"
"It's not of your business." He hissed at the taker figure. "Oh but it is my dear brother, it is my job to look out for you…"
"Then where have you been all my life? Why did you kill them just to prove your strength…why weren't you a better brother to me!" Sasuke asked with malice in his voice.
"Brother, brother…I've been watching you all your life, I simply killed them to make you stronger, and I am a better brother, helping you in your quest for power, to kill me."
"That wasn't what I wanted, it wasn't what I needed!" Sasuke shook his head.
"Do you even know what you want or need!" Itachi shouted out, he took a deep breath before cooling down again. "You don't know anything little brother…you know nothing…"
Slowly, Gaara made his sand creep up to the missing-nin, silently. But Itachi realized what he was doing and jumped away before it got out of hand. Sasuke turned around to meet Gaara's gaze. "Nobody touch him, nobody kill him. Only I can do that, only me. Me!"
"Until next time foolish little brother…I'll be watching…" and with that, he slowly disappeared into the darkness. 'Damn it…' Sasuke cursed himself.
"Is she gonna be ok?" Naruto voiced Gaara's thoughts when Tsunade stepped out of her room. "She'll be fine, she just needs to sleep right now and maybe some support."
"What do you mean support?" Naruto asked.
"She went through quite a few disturbing images in her head, the Mangekyou Sharingan is very powerful when it comes to your worst fears." Tsunade spoke.
"The bearer of the Mangekyou Sharingan can control what they want you to see, the death of a loved one, the murder of your best friend, the slaughter of your tutor, anything. And probably for Sakura's case, it could've been all three, involving us." Kakashi's brows were furrowed in anger and worry.
"That's…hard core…" Naruto grew worried and looked over to Sakura's room door. "Can we go in and see her?" he asked.
"I'm not sure if that's ok..." Tsunade sighed and gave in when she saw Naruto's pout, "Fine, I'll go see if she's ready…" She turned around and went through the door of Sakura's room, their voices were muffled but they could tell that which voices were Sakura's and Tsunade's.
"Do you think she'll recover?" Naruto asked Kakashi who shrugged, and then the blonde looked over to Sasuke. "She's smart, she'll know it's just a trick…" he frowned, trying to convince himself more than them. The images that Itachi gave him when he was little still haunted his dreams, so he wasn't sure about Sakura.
Tsunade came out and sighed once more, "Fine you can go in…but no sudden noises…" she looked over at Naruto, "And no sudden movements…" she looked over at Naruto again. "No Sharingan…" she looked over at Sasuke and Kakashi, "And nothing red…so I don't think you can go in, sorry." She looked over at Gaara.
"But, she might not mind Gaara, you know." Naruto reasoned again, "I mean, she remembers him right? I'm sure she won't mind the red hair."
"It's ok Naruto, just tell her to get better soon." Gaara spoke as he walked over to a chair and sat down. Naruto nodded at his request and went into the room, slow enough that it wouldn't scare her. "Hey, Sakura-chan. Are you ok?" Naruto whispered at her softly.
"Yeah, I guess I'm fine, why are you whispering?" she whispered back. "Ah, the old hag told me to not make any sudden movements or any loud noises, that's why I'm walking real slow and talking real soft." He smiled at her. "I see, you don't have to whisper that softly and you're walking like a turtle." She giggled. Naruto smiled as he straightened himself out and walked over to her, "Neh, you gonna be ok? How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked.
"I'm fine and that's four fingers."
"No, you are so not fine, I'm holding up…oh yeah that's four…Ehehe…" he laughed nervously as he tried to keep his voice down to slightly normal. "Naruto, you are so silly."
"You don't believe in it right? Please don't believe in it." Naruto looked downcast and it made Sakura worry a bit. "Believe in what Naruto?"
"The…illusion…please don't believe in it." He asked once more before Kakashi came in and waved at her. "Yo, Sakura. You ok?"
"Hi Kakashi-sensei. I'm ok." She smiled at him as she tried to suppress the mental image. Sasuke stood outside the door, unsure if he should go in.
'Why do I hesitate to go in…I'm not Itachi…' he thought to himself as he sighed and took a step inside.
"Hi Sasuke." She smiled at him. "You remember." He asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah, I guess…where's Gaara?"
"He's still outside, the old hag told him not to come inside because of his…" Naruto pointed to his hair and she understood. "I see, I don't mind. It wasn't real, I don't believe it." Naruto smiled when he heard her say those words, "Sure, I'll go get him." Naruto went outside and walked over to the sand-nin who had his head in his hands. "Hey, uh…you can come in."
"But my hair…"
"Yeah, she said she doesn't mind."
"You sure?
"Want me to go ask her again?"
"Yeah…"
"Sakura-chan, are you sure?" he poked his head through the door way, "I'm sure Naruto."
"Absolutely sure?"
"Yes."
"Positively sure?"
"…Naruto…just get him inside…"
"…Ehehehe, ok." He looked at Gaara again and nodded his head. "Right…you go in first." Naruto smiled and went inside, followed by Gaara. "Hi." Unsure of what else to say, she just smiled at him as she tried to suppress another mental image, but her smile turned into one of pain and she held onto her head to subdue the hurt.
"Sakura, are you ok?" Kakashi asked as his hand hovered over her shoulder, she made whimpering sounds, but slowly nodded her head. "I'm fine…"
"What can we do to make it better for you?" Naruto asked as he scooted over to her side. "Ice cream is always good." She smiled as she regained her composure. "Tsunade-sama, when am I allowed to leave?"
"I see your manners have returned…" Tsunade spoke as she looked over at Sakura with a quirked up eyebrow. Sakura blushed slightly, "I'm sorry about that…"
"It's alright, you can go whenever you want, since I've already checked up on you."
"Thanks, Tsunade-sama." She smiled to the blonde and then stared at the guys. "Out please, I wanna change." She pointed her finger to the door. The boys including Kakashi were scooted out by Tsunade and once the door clicked into place, she moved over to the cupboard and changed back into her red dress. Once she got out, she made a tiny stretch and skipped away from the guys who just stared at her back. When she turned around she yelled at them, "Are you coming or what? You better treat me to free ice-cream! Oh the mental images…" she feigned passing out, but Gaara caught her anyways.
"I was joking, get it? Joking." She smiled up at him. "But what if you accidentally fell?" he asked. She giggled at him. "What?" he asked as he let her stand up properly. "Nothing, nothing." She said as she waved her hand. "I want strawberry flavor ok?" she smiled and ran off to the ice cream parlor, when she got there, she took a seat with a table and four other chairs. Hen they came through the door, she happily shouted out 'ICE CREAM' like a little girl. It made Naruto laugh, Sasuke smirk and Kakashi smile. Gaara's smiles were only reserved for Sakura to see and no one else, so he didn't smile.
"Ano sa, ano sa…do we ALL have to get you ice cream?" Naruto asked as he took a seat beside Sakura and Gaara took the seat on the other side of her.
"Of course!" she laughed when she saw the looks on their faces.
"But that's four scoops…can you finish four scoops?" Naruto asked again. "Three scoops! Gaara can get me one next time." She smiled as she nudged him. "Eh? No fair!" Naruto complained.
"He's getting me one next time you silly!" Sakura pinched his cheeks.
'I never agreed to that…' Gaara thought as he watched Sakura continue to pinch Naruto's cheeks until they were pink from hurt. "Your face looks like Sakura's hair." Gaara stated as he stared at the blonde. "I know…and it hurts…"
After they had their ice cream, Gaara's first experience resulting in brain freeze, he swore he won't have another ice cream in his life, much to Sakura's disappointment, they went off for a walk. While Naruto was chatting away with Sakura, Kakashi reading is perverted book, Gaara stayed at the back with Sasuke in front. Eventually, Sasuke slowed down to the pace to match Gaara's.
"You better look after her…" Sasuke spoke in a hushed voice as he stared at him from the corner of his eye. "Ah…" Gaara nodded, Sasuke accepted this answer and walked off to the front again, preferring solitude than company.
Drowned in his own thoughts.
I swear I will look after her…
I think…this chapter is sort of confusing…don't you think?
Torn is finished by the way, but some people have been saying it's a weird and short ending…go figure…Ehehe…and I got a comment on…'YOU SUCK!'
Not my day…seriously…but flames are welcomed though, I encourage it since I'm willing to improve of my fics…of course, I improve with time and practice…but they really hurt me! (sniff sniff)
But I got an apology so that made my day! Hehe, flames and criticism are welcomed in my department, just be careful not to catch me on my bad day…hehe.
To nejithecagedbird – ano sa ano sa…which fic you want me to update? Torn is finished…so I'm not sure if it's that or not…eto…ano…yeah…hehehe.
ALSO...I'M STILL IN A BIT OF A WRITER'S BLOCK...ANY IDEAS?